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4College FreshmanNov 22 2013

Health & Safety:
I once had to meet a friend at a dorm a few blocks away at 6 AM. It was dark, the guard in my building told me that I should take the NYU public safety bus. I assured him that I was okay to walk a few blocks but he insisted that he drive me. I thought living in New York City would be dangerous but Greenwich Village is a safe neighborhood. I never feel unsafe walking around- even at night. You just have to be smart about it.

Off-Campus Housing:
Cost: It's NYC. You're going to pay ridiculously high prices for a hole in the wall. But it's completely worth it for the freedom.

Proximity to campus: Will depend on where your apartment it. I know some students who were able to find apartments only a few blacks from Washington Square Park and other who have found housing in Brooklyn. Living further from campus is not necessarily a bad thing; though. I found that when I was living very close to campus, I very rarely did anything outside of that area.

Administration:
Alcohol/Drug use: The school itself is pretty strict on these, but it really depends on the RAs in your building. There is definitely a LOT of drinking/drug use that goes on in dorms; however, people only get caught if it smells strongly of weed or if you are loud. It's definitely not hard to get away with either.

Attendance: Depends on the class. Some of my classes take attendance very seriously (i.e. in Italian I am only allowed 4 absences for the semester and for each absence over 4 my grade will go down my 25%) however, some classes don't take attendance at all.

Visitation in dorms: very strict (but not at all in a bad way). To have a guest in the building, your guest must sign in with the public safety officer in your dorm and must leave his/her photo ID with the officer until the end of his/her visit. Only 4 guests are allowed to be signed in by the same person. Overnight guests are allowed 6 nights a month and they can only stay 3 consecutive nights.

Campus Quality:
NYU has some pretty impressive events and facilities. The main library, Bobst, is beautiful and we have some amazing smaller libraries that not many people even know exist.

There are also many exciting events that occur throughout the year. UVL (the competition Lady Gaga performed in as a student) and Elegance (a ball at the Met) are by far my favorites. Also, many people think that the Class Activity Board is kind of dorky, but they have a lot of food-related events ($1 pizza or $1 bubble tea, etc) so efinitely keep an eye out for those!

The NYU buildings vary on how pretty they are. Some are incredibly ugly (i.e. Hayden Hall and the Silver Building) but some are beautiful and very up-to-date.

Academics:
I went in to NYU as an undecided major on the pre-med track in CAS. I was so excited to begin college undecided as this allowed me to explore my options. However, I quickly began to realize that this was not at all the case. CAS has so many core requirements that it was incredibly difficult to explore different options.

Academics:
Note: this following review only refers to CAS. I have had no experience with classes in other schools except steinhardt.

Let me first start off by saying that not one of my classes has ever been taught by a TA! That is pretty rare for large universities. Many of our professors are also well-respected in their fields (I've seen some of my psych professors in multiple textsbooks); however, I've only had a few professors that I was really impressed with. They are well-known but many (not all) lack excitement or passion about the subject they are teaching.

The registration process is absolutely horrific. It it widely agreed that Albert, the site used to register for classes, is the most poorly designed website ever created. It is annoying to navigate and it always crashes during registration. This only adds to the frustration of the actual registration process. NYU is a large school, so you must come to terms with the fact that at least one of the classes you want/need will fill up before your registration time. One semester, every single one of the classes I needed filled up before my registration time.

Off-Campus Housing:
Off-campus housing quality is completely dependent upon how much money you have. If you're a millionaire you can buy an apartment across from your academic building in Washington Square, otherwise most students turn to the East Village or Brooklyn.

Overall ExperienceWhat's this?

NYU offers students a taste of the hustle and bustle they will most likely encounter in the real world once they graduate. It is an overpopulated institution, so you have to be ready to fight to gain certain academic opportunities, but cultivating such a habit may serve as indirect training for new graduates when they have to go about securing jobs in their respective fields. Life at NYU demands a certain kind of disposition; thus, it is not for everyone. For students who love NYC and the challenge and experience it offers, it is an exciting and ever-changing community. For those who desire a community-rich college experience, NYU is lacking in that area. However, you can make an amazing experience out of what the school does offer. Whatever your choice, get ready for a mix of demanding academics and wild experiences in the city. Finding a balance between the two is key at this big-city school.

Many students claim that the best part about attending NYU is living in New York City, while other students complain about the school's large tuition. Most often, students are dissatisfied with the lack of a campus or school spirit, and many students believe that the institution is run too much like a business, with the school using millions of dollars to make NYU a global institution instead of supporting its current students. Otherwise, most students appreciate the various benefits of living in the city, such as diverse and exciting nightlife options, a broad range of cuisines, and prestigious and diverse internship opportunities.